by Kelly Campbell
August is National Wellness Month, a time to reflect on our health, habits, and how to take better care of ourselves. With rising rates of chronic disease, sedentary lifestyles, and stress-related health issues across the U.S., an emphasis on true wellness has never been more critical.
The good news? As a pickleballer, you’re already ahead of the curve. Playing regularly improves your cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and social connection, all of which are key pillars of wellness.
It’s not just that pickleball supports your wellness; prioritizing your wellness off the court through smarter recovery, nutrition, fitness, and stress management can dramatically improve your performance on the court.
Read on for more about pickleball and wellness, including pickleball benefits and strategies to improve your wellness off the court, plus a pickleball-focused fitness routine.
Pickleball is Already a Huge Part of Your Wellness Routine
You may not even realize it, but every time you step on the court, you’re investing in your physical, mental, and emotional wellness, because pickleball is a powerhouse activity for overall health.
As if we need more reasons to pick up a paddle, here’s a recap of the ways that pickleball contributes to our overall wellness:
Improved Mental Focus: Quick decision-making and fast reflexes sharpen your brain and boost cognitive health.
Cardiovascular Health: Pickleball gets your heart pumping, improving circulation, and lowering your risk of heart disease.
Muscle Strength and Endurance: The constant movement builds strength in your legs, core, and upper body without heavy impact.
Joint Mobility and Flexibility: Low-impact but high-reward. Pickleball keeps your joints moving and your body agile.
Mental and Emotional Well-being: Endorphins from playing improve your mood, reduce stress, and support emotional balance.
Social Connection: Pickleball creates community, offering connection, laughter, and friendship on and off the court.
Overall Wellness Leads to Peak Pickleball Performance
When you take care of your body and mind off the court—through rest, nutrition, movement, and mental health—you set yourself up for stronger, sharper, and more consistent play on the court. It’s not just about how much you practice your dinks or smash hits; it’s also about how you’re taking care of your body and showing up for yourself every day. Here are some things to keep in mind for peak overall wellness that leads to quality pickleball performance:
Eat a Balanced Diet: Fueling your body with whole, nutrient-rich foods will boost your energy levels, support muscle recovery, and help you stay sharp during long rallies. Focus on lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbs, and many fruits and vegetables. Don’t forget to eat before and after matches—before for energy, after for recovery. Ensure you are eating enough of the right things to fuel your body. If you struggle with nutrition, consider seeing and working with a registered dietician. Apps like Nourish make it easier than ever to find a dietician aligned with your goals that insurance will cover.
Sleep Efficiently: Most adults need 7-9 hours of quality sleep to operate at their best. With work, family, and screen time, many of us cut corners here and lack adequate sleep. Prioritize rest by limiting device use at least an hour before bed and establishing a relaxing nighttime routine. If you struggle to fall asleep, consider trying gentle yoga, breathing exercises, or calming soundscapes—available on YouTube, Spotify, or wellness apps like Calm.
Give Your Body Time to Recover: After intense pickleball sessions, heavy workouts, or even an illness, your body needs rest and repair. Recovery is essential. Take a full rest day when needed, consider active recovery like walking or gentle stretching, and explore recovery tools such as massage therapy, foam rolling, infrared saunas, or even cold plunges. Listening to your body helps prevent injury and prolongs your time on the court.
Manage Your Stress: Mental fatigue can be just as draining as physical exhaustion. Chronic stress affects your sleep, energy, and even reaction time. Find the tools that work for you; consider trying mindfulness, meditation, journaling, and/or social media breaks. Keeping your mind clear will help you stay calm and focused in tight matches.
Stretch and Hydrate: Stretching is one of the most essential yet overlooked steps for wellness, and it’s crucial for flexibility, injury prevention, and quicker recovery. Make it part of your warm-up and cool-down routines. Hydration is equally critical—dehydration impacts energy, coordination, and endurance. Aim to drink water consistently throughout the day, not just during games. Consider electrolyte drinks for added support if you’re playing for hours or in the heat.
Invest in a Smartwatch: If you haven’t already, a smartwatch can be a game-changer for your pickleball wellness. It can track your heart rate, sleep quality, steps, and even stress levels—giving you real-time feedback to optimize your training and recovery. Some models even allow you to set hydration reminders or analyze your movement patterns, helping you train smarter, not just harder.
By integrating these wellness habits into your routine, you’re not just improving your pickleball performance, you’re building a sustainable, healthy lifestyle that supports you both on and off the court.
Ultimate Pickleball Fitness Routine
To play at your highest level, your off-court fitness routine should target the areas that directly translate to better performance on the court. The foundation of pickleball athleticism includes agility, strength, hand-eye coordination, balance and stability, endurance, and flexibility. Together, these qualities shape a well-rounded, high-impact player—someone who moves with speed and control, reacts with precision, stays steady under pressure, and adapts to every challenge the game brings.
For peak pickleball performance in your matches, your off-the-court exercise routine should focus on these key areas:
Flexibility & Mobility – Stay loose, prevent injuries, and move freely with a better range of motion for every swing and step. Make sure that you start each workout with a dynamic warm-up and finish up with some static stretching. You could also consider adding yoga to your routine, which is a great workout to increase flexibility. Targeted mobility routines aim to improve range of motion and reduce stiffness, strengthening specific joints and muscle groups.
Cardio & Endurance – Boost your stamina to outlast opponents during long rallies and fast-paced games. Running, cycling, jumping and high-intensity interval training are all great options to increase your heart rate. The CDC recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. That can be as simple as a brisk 30-minute walk 5 days a week; start small, and work your way up.
Strength Training – Build functional muscle power to hit harder, move quicker, and maintain control throughout your game. Aim to do some full-body strength training 2-3 times per week, focusing on progressive overload, where you gradually increase weights or reps week to week to build muscle and make your workouts more challenging over time.
The most important thing is to find what works for you. Don’t overexert yourself or stick to a routine you don’t enjoy. Consistency is key, and it’s hard to stay consistent with something you hate. Explore different workout types, change up your environment, and remember: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to fitness. What matters most is finding a routine that fits your lifestyle and keeps you motivated.
Fitness Clubs with Pickleball Courts
More gyms and wellness clubs are embracing the pickleball boom by integrating courts into their fitness offerings, giving players more ways to train, recover, and play under one roof. While many of these gyms with pickleball courts are luxury studios with high membership fees, they demonstrate a demand for pickleball in the wellness space. Hopefully, their success will prompt other fitness clubs to prioritize pickleball, too.
There’s still a long way to go before pickleball court offerings become standard practice at fitness studios nationwide, but there are more options than ever before. Some gyms and fitness clubs that have already included pickleball courts in their facilities are:
Class Pass: Class Pass is a service that allows you to pay dues to a single entity but book classes and wellness experiences at various studios and gyms. Pickleballers now have the opportunity to book court space on the app at fitness studios, depending on what’s available in your area.
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